Features

One of the greatest things about duck hunting and fishing on the middle Texas coast during the winter months is that you stand a very good chance of getting up close to one of the world’s most treasured birds – a whooping crane.

I’ll begin with some information that will likely not be a surprise to many hunters, but it could be to the general public. At least it could be a surprise to those that are members of the anti-hunting crowd. These statistics have been compiled by several groups including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report comes from National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the Consumer Products Safety Commission and the International Hunters Education Association Hunter Incident Clearinghouse.

When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865 – only five days after Lee surrendered to Grant to end the Civil War – it marked the end of a giant of a man who led the fight to preserve the Union. But it was the beginning of a remarkable cult of personality unprecedented in American history.

“Government ought to be all outside and no inside. … Everybody knows that corruption thrives in secret places,and avoids public places, and we believe it a fair presumption that secrecy means impropriety.”

– Woodrow Wilson, U.S. President

Last week was what is known as Sunshine Week in Texas – a time when governmental agencies are supposed espouse the importance of open dialogue and access to public documents and foster a more open relationship with the public.

Q. I had a credit card account that was written off several years ago. I have now received a letter from a debt collector stating that if I don’t pay, I will be sued. How do I owe any money if the account was written-off? Should I just ignore this?

While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us “that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas,” we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We’re of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.